500. Excusable deviations.

The deviations from the proper course of the voyage permitted at common law¹ are extended by the Hague-Visby Rules² to deviations which occur in saving or attempting to save life or property at sea³. Moreover, any other reasonable deviations are permitted so that deviations to save or attempt to save life or property, or other reasonable deviations, will not be regarded as infringements either of the Rules or of the contract of carriage⁴. This particular provision gives rise to a number of difficult problems of construction to which, as yet, only the following tentative solutions may be offered:

1.  

   (1)